Burnout has been observed in approximately half of the anesthesiologists who entered training from 2013 to 2016 (Anesthesiology 2019;131:668-77). The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have placed additional strains on these residents who are frequently on the front lines of the ongoing pandemic response.
Previous evaluations of burnout have shown that the precipitating causes among this population are unrelated to hours worked, or student debt. A cross-sectional survey study published in 2019, prior to the pandemic, found that, overall, 51% of anesthesiology residents and first-year graduates had a high degree of burnout (Anesthesiology 2019;131:668-77). Additionally, it identified that 32% of residents were in distress, and 12% were screened positive for depression (Anesthesiology 2019;131:668-77). Survey results from this study suggested that residents at higher training levels had a higher prevalence of burnout and distress, reaching a peak in the CA-3 year (Anesthesiology 2019;131:668-77)....